Marketing, advertising & media intelligence

While chocolate hearts, cherubic angels with bows and Hallmark cards have nothing to do with the history of St Valentine, they are a bit more light-hearted than the imprisonment and torture of a man in Rome. So rather than condemning the unbridled commercialisation of love (and martyrdom), let's celebrate some of the good ideas and be thankful that we don't have to endure the annual retelling of the horror that befell a random historical figure.

Locally, not too much to write home about, proving beyond doubt that New Zealand brands are ruthless corporate entities and are incapable of love (if you've seen any good'uns, add them to the comment wall). The Neurological Foundation and DraftFCB took a different approach by "subverting the usual Valentine's messages"; Whittaker's added its take on the 'roses are red' theme to its Facebook page (although we like this exceedingly romantic one better); and Air New Zealand embraced the cheese with a reference to cloud 9.

In less than two minutes, Schwarzkopf manages to make all other proposals seem inadequate.

While many of the Winter Olympics advertisers have been playing the LGBT card, a lubricant called Gun Oil gets in on the act and tells a story that it says is not getting told.

Heineken steps in to help out forgetful lovers who have neglected to make plans for the romantic evening. Released only a few days before Valentine's Day, this spot aimed to start a conversation on Twitter. And judging by the commentary, the campaign proved to a be quite successful.

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Why we like it: In a slightly dystopic and animalistic car spot, Mitsubishi has promoted its new Triton Huntaway II. The video sees the utetravelling over rugged Wellington terrain and highlights the vehicles multiple features. The campaign is based on exclusivity as Mitsubishi’s new ute has just 20 up for grabs. To provide further hype to its audience, the ad finishes with the line, “if you don’t catch it now, you won’t see it for dust”.

Who’s it for:2degrees by DDB

Why we like it:2degrees continue to expose the unusual nature of everyday gestures in its latest spot that lingers over three couples shaking hands. In a world of sloppy, or overly stiff hand-shakes, it is good to see the act of peace and trade be scrutinised. Described as ‘pumping someone up and down as if they are low on air’ the spot films handshakes in slow motion and scrutinises the instinctive way in which we communicate. The spot is a part of 2degrees ‘Second Nature’ campaign, which releases multiple ads and gives focus to the contribution of 2degrees in helping Kiwi businesses up and down the country.

Who’s it for: TVNZ by TVNZ’s Blacksand

Why we like it: Last week, Deadpool hijacked TVNZ’s brand assets, gate crashed multiple TVNZ channel idents and appeared in a Broadcasting Standards spot for TVNZ. The character, played by famous American actor Ryan Reynolds, saw a one-off opportunity for TVNZ, who utilised the sarcastic superhero across multiple platforms and programmes. The ads coincided with the release of Deadpool 2, which is currently on screen in cinemas.